Cortana arrives on Skype in Microsoft’s bid to bring AI to chat

Microsoft has announced that Cortana will soon be integrated into Skype, where the assistant will offer up suggestions based on conversation.

Google may have been the most prolific venture in tethering AI with a chat app in the merger that saw Allo and Google Assistant come together, and now Microsoft has announced its plans to do the same with Skype and Cortana.

Microsoft has clarified that Cortana is set to become a new in-app integration within Skype, where the digital assistant will offer up relevant suggestions.

The AI will both be available for chat sessions, and will be able to provide contextual services – such as reminders, event scheduling, travel plans, and the like – when a user is in conversation with another party.

At present, Cortana’s presence on Skype is presently rolling out on both the service’s iOS and Android apps in the United States, and Microsoft hasn’t yet clarified when other markets can expect the update.

The move comes as one of Microsoft’s newest offensives since the company confirmed that it would not be investing significant energy into the development of Windows 10 Mobile. Though the news may dishearten fans of the mobile operating system, Microsoft has turned its gaze to other platforms – such as Android.